Anthocyanin fingerprint of different genotypes of wild grapes (Vitis vinifera spp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi)

BACKGROUND: Anthocyanins are the main pigments in red grapes, and have been detected in samples of wild grapevine berries. OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of whether the phenolic composition of those plants differs from that presented by cultivated grapes, and assessing if some wild genotypes present some genetic characters of interest related to color accumulation during grape maturation. METHODS: The anthocyanin composition of 75 wild grapevines from different Iberian natural populations was studied by HPLC. The anthocyanins fingerprint of those genotypes was determined, and data were analysed by applying several statistical procedures. RESULTS: Genotypes under study showed a considerable variability in their anthocyanin fingerprints, being possible to distinguish two great families and several great phenotypic groups. CONCLUSIONS: The anthocyanin fingerprint of wild grapevines differs among genotypes collected in different geographical regions, suggesting that the evolution of the biosynthetic pathway leading to anthocyanins is affected by the climatic conditions of different environments.